FINDING HER GROOVE

Lisa Bouchelle updates duet with John Popper for new EP

When Lisa Bouchelle noticed that “Only the Tequila Talkin’ ” was getting a lot of attention at her concerts, she turned her attention toward giving the tune — previously included on her 2010 album, Bleu Room With a Red Vase — a slight makeover for her new EP, Lipstick Tomboy.

“I had a vision where it could have more of an upbeat groove,” the singer-songwriter says, “so I decided to remix it.”

The original version was notable for featuring Blues Traveler frontman John Popper as Bouchelle’s duet partner; for the update, she added and emphasized percussion and harmony vocals.

Bouchelle describes “Only the Tequila Talkin’ ” as “a fun, upbeat, kinda quirky duet that’s country rock,” and when asked where it fits in with recent drinking-themed “bro country” hits, she seems proud to present the female perspective.

“The song has a quirky story to it, and things go a little awry,” she explains. “I think women are out there drinking and partying and having a good time [too]. But if girls want to act like they’re not doing that, that’s not true.”

Bouchelle is excited about the song’s recently completed video, which was filmed at a bar just outside of her hometown in Trenton, New Jersey.

“We did it with an old Western theme — think Bonanza,” she says, adding that the clip also includes concert footage of her and Popper performing the song together.

If all goes according to plan, Bouchelle expects to make a beach-themed video for the EP’s very Prince-ly titled “Luv Is Supposed 2B Fun.”

“The reason I spelled it like that is because I wanted it to be the fun spelling,” she says with a laugh. “And as introspective and contemplative as I can be as a writer, I just thought, ‘Sometimes you gotta let go and let love be fun.’ It’s just a really fun party song.”

Lipstick Tomboy also includes the original “Heart vs. Mind” as well as a cover of the Gordon Lightfoot hit “If You Could Read My Mind.”

“My mom was a hippie chick, and she used to play the greatest music ever,” Bouchelle recalls. “So I had heard the [Lightfoot] song, but I never really listened to it that closely [until] I was driving home from a gig late one night, listening to the Deep Tracks or Classic Vinyl station on SiriusXM, and that song came on. It’s so dreamy and creates such an image in your mind. You can practically see what he’s talking about.”

For her version, Bouchelle says her goal was to do it “really slow — almost like how Cowboy Junkies did ‘Sweet Jane.’ ”

“I wanted to make it real syrupy and dreamy,” she adds. “I call it having the tempo of dreams and thoughts.”